By ANEEKA SIMONIS
SOME days, seven-year-old Sophie from Dewhust has to hold her mummy’s hand.
To Sophie, it’s because of mummy’s “Monkey Syndrome” – but to the rest of the world, Sophie’s mum suffers from an incurable disease slowly taking over her body.
Cathy Hayes has Multiple Sclerosis (MS) – a progressive disease primarily impacting her motor skills.
Now 34, the Dewhurst mum has had to deal with the debilitating illness since she was diagnosed in her early twenties.
Falling pregnant with her daughter was short of a miracle for Cathy, who was forced to come off her medication to conceive her only child with husband Ben.
In April next year, Cathy and Ben will leave their miracle child for five weeks, seeking out overseas treatment to help stop the aggressive disease.
“It’s going to be hard to leave her for so long,” said Cathy, as she detailed her upcoming trip to Russia for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) treatment to slow her disease which has no known cure.
“I decided to have this stem cell treatment to put a halt to the disease and live a healthier and longer life with my family, but it comes with a risk and cost.”
The treatment is estimated to cost approximately $100,000 – a cost that had not been accounted for in the Hayes family’s budget.
Cathy, currently in the second stage of the progressive illness, said it was hard to describe her condition to her daughter – expect that some days she is ‘wonkier’ than others.
“She knows I get wonky … We call it Monkey Syndrome … we say, ‘Mum’s a little wonky today, hold mummy’s hand and make sure she doesn’t fall over,’” Cathy said.
Cathy’s father Phil Maxwell, who lives in the Upper Beaconsfield area with wife Di, saw his brother die of the disease.
“Cathy knows that the disease she lives with on a daily basis has debilitating if not fatal consequences. She saw her uncle die of it,” he said.
“We will do anything we can to help our daughter … her situation is desperate.”
The Hayes family, who operate Hayes Products – a successful tractor parts company on Bald Hill Road in Pakenham – urgently plead for donations toward their cause.
The pair leave for the intensive five-week treatment course in Russia on 24 April next year.
To help Cathy on her quest to stop the progression of her MS, please donate via http://cathysmscure.simplesite.com/.
